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Wanna be a cowboy? That's an easy order to fill in Bandera, Texas, nicknamed "The Cowboy Capital of the World." In this community, located 50 miles northwest of San Antonio on TX 16, you cant toss a horseshoe without hitting a dude ranch, rodeo ground, western wear store, or dance hall.

Banderas Western heritage is a big draw to todays travelers but its roots date back to the founding days of Texas. Bandera Pass, located twelve miles north on TX 173, was first the site of numerous battles between the Spanish conquistadors and both Apache and Comanche Indians. According to one local legend, a flag (or bandera in Spanish) was placed here to mark the border between the forces.

Today the Wild West atmosphere lives on both in town and in the surrounding dude ranches. Whether youd like to "cowboy up" for a few days at a dude ranch or just grab some boots and dance to Western tunes along Main Street, Bandera has plenty of opportunities to get in touch with your inner cowboy.

Dude Ranches: Bandera is well known for its many dude ranches, the perfect way for you and your family to experience life as a cowboy for a few days. Properties like the Flying L Guest Ranch, the Mayan Ranch, Dixie Dude Ranch, and Twin Elm Guest Ranch will keep you busy with horseback rides, hayrides, fishing, cookouts, and more. You dont have to have any previous riding experience to enjoy the ranches. Typically the guest rates include three meals a day as well as Western entertainment and even supervised kids' programs. During the peak summer months, expect a minimum stay at many ranches.

Rodeos: Bandera is also synonymous with rodeos. One favorite held every Tuesday and Friday through the summer is at the Twin Elm Guest Ranch. For professional action, check out the Cowboy Capital PRCA Rodeo, held in May.

Honky Tonks: Another city might call them nightclubs, but there's nothing fancy about Bandera; this town proudly calls their downtown bars honky tonks. Live country music can be found most nights. One of the best known is Arkey Blues Silver Dollar. Dont miss the sawdust-covered floor (to encourage plenty of boot-scootin). Also on Main Street, the Cabaret Dancehall has shook to the sounds of country music for seven decades and often hosts many big name acts.

Cowboys on Main: During the warm weather months, downtown Bandera is transformed with a Saturday event called Cowboys on Main. Scheduled from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. right on Main Street, the event features horseback riding cowboys, storytellers, trick ropers, musicians, and a lot more. The event is sponsored by the Frontier Times Museums Living History Project. Save some time for a sop at the Frontier Times Museum. The museum dates back to 1927 and is a good place to learn more about Bandera's early days through cowboy paraphernalia, Native American arrowheads, and prehistoric artifacts.

For more information on vacationing in Bandera, call the Bandera Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800.364.3833 or 830.796.3045.

Paris Permenter and John Bigley are Texas guidebook authors and the editors of TexasTripper.com Travel Guide, an online guide to vacationing in Texas.

Obesity is a disease that affects approximately 60 million people in the United States, where women are especially affected. Over one-third of women between the ages of 20 and 74 are obese, the majority of them being African American or Mexican American. With more and more pre-packaged food and less and less activity, the number of obese people in America has steadily increased since the 1960s.

But what is obesity? Many people think obesity means that a person is overweight, but thats not exactly true. An overweight person has a surplus amount of weight that includes muscle, bone, fat, and water. An obese person has a surplus of body fat. Most health professionals concur that a man is obese if he has over 25 percent body fat, and a woman is obese if she has over 30 percent. Women physiologically have more body fat than men, so that why theres a difference in percentage.

It is difficult to determine the exact percentage of body fat a person has, but estimates can be made in a number of ways. First, using a tweezer-like tool called a caliper, you can measure the thickness of skin folds on different points of your body and compare the results with standardized numbers. You can also use a small device that sends a harmless electrical current through your body and measures your body fat percentage. The most commonly used method to determine if a person is obese is to look at his/her Body Mass Index (BMI). A person with a BMI over 30 is considered to be obese, and a BMI over 40 is considered to be severely obese. Its important to remember though that BMI could be misleading in pregnant or lactating women and in muscular individuals. There are some free tools to find your body fat percentage at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/body-fat-calculator.html.

With obesity, comes the increased risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, Type II Diabetes, heart disease, and breast, colon, and prostate cancer. In addition, obesity has been linked to mental health conditions such as depression or feelings of shame and low self-esteem. Health experts say that even losing 10 to 15 percent of your body weight can dramatically decrease the risk of developing these serious conditions. In addition, many obese people are discriminated against and targets of insults and other verbal abuse. Find out if you are at risk for health disease using the health calculators at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/high-blood-pressure.html.

A number of factors, such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, genetics, and certain medical disorders, cause obesity, but it can be conquered. One major obstacle to being more physically active is motivation and accountability. Find a friend with similar fitness goals and begin a simple exercise program together. It takes time to see the results, but your health is worth it!

Written by Shelley Hitz, Licensed Physical Therapist and Certified NASM Personal Trainer.
Sign up for her free Exercise Advice journal at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/journal.html or read more of her articles at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com. Get your free unbelievable abs ball workout here!

As they say, drive for "show and putt for dough". Battles and bets are won on the putting green and today. I'll be sharing some good tips and succinct tips on how to putt well. You'll find immense results.

When I first started playing golf, putting was a mystery, I was puzzled by why it was hard to judge the distance the ball rolled. Many putts later, it was evident that the ball sometimes hopped or it would skid on the ground before rolling toward the hole.

Therein lies the problem. If the ball should skid or hop, energy is loss through friction or the hopping motion. When that happens, it becomes difficult to be consistent and roll the ball the correct distance. We don't want any unusual movements in the ball that would cost the ball to fall short. And when we hit too hard to compensate for lost distance, the ball could roll past the hole and off the green.

I found that the setup is very important. Here's what we need to do.

-Keep the biceps tucked into the chest, and armpits closed.
-Bend the elbows so they form a triangle.
-Angle the right wrist such that is firm and cocked.
-swing the putter face perpendicularly back with good tempo then back and sweep through the ball.
-Be sure to keep the wrist angle firm, do not allow the right wrist to break down after hitting the ball.

This causes a brushing motion that will cause the ball to have just enough top spin without lifting the ball such that it hops and also prevent friction because of a skidding motion.

Join me on a golf journey at http://www.shermanlovesgolf.blogspot.com

The golf slice is one of the average golfer's most common game play mistakes. In golf, there is probably nothing more frustrating as practicing your perfect golf swing and finding out that your ball is sliced more times than you hit straight. If you are one of these golfers who suffer from the annoying golf slice, we reckon you probably want it to be corrected as soon as you can. You may probably be asking 'How do I correct my golf slice'?

To help you how to correct your golf slice, it is important to know that are the possible causes of it. In set up, there are a number of possible causes. This include bad grip or when the club is held so tight that tension is formed at the arms of the player, causing him to perform an outside to in swing. To correct a bad grip, try to loosen up your grip. Imagine you are grasping a little bird instead of a club make your grip tight enough to keep the bird from escaping, but loose enough not to constrict it to death. However, having a week grip will cause you to have a clubface that is open. Solve this by turning both of your hands clockwise at the club.

Bad alignment is another cause of slice. The best thing to do is to align the shoulders and feet in such a way that they will be parallel to the imaginary line from the ball to the target. A faulty ball position is also a cause of golf slice. This can be remedied by not placing the ball quite far as this can make the shoulder to open and create a swing path that is outside-to-in. You can also move back the golf ball into your stance though still a little but forward from center. This is to make sure that the club is parallel to the line from the ball to the target. The clubface angle is another factor you should look into. Make sure that the clubface is lined up squarely with the line from the ball to the target.

Problems with the swing also cause golf slice. These problems include poor transfer of weight. You should transfer your weight to the front from the back foot. A good way to eliminate slice is by using the renowned 'down the fairway' drill by Gary Player: hit your drive and take a forward step on follow through. Another drill you can use is the so-called stepping drill which is basically exaggerating your weight transfer by raising your front leg when on the subsequent backswing and transferring your weight to your back foot.

For more tips to correct your golf slice, visit http://www.curegolfslice.net

If you really want to relax and pamper yourself when you plan your next vacation, do we have the list for you! There is no better way to let your body know you appreciate it than to take in a few luxurious spa treatments. Here is a list of some of the resorts that have the inside track on how to really relax.

Grand Floridian Resort & Spa - Walt Disney World, Florida

While some may tell you otherwise, you can have it all. Thanks to Walt Disney World you can have a great family vacation that keeps the kids entertained and also have never before reached levels of pampering. While the rest of the family plays with Mickey Mouse in the theme parks, you can spend a day at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. This spa has premier offerings including mineral soaks, hydrotherapy, reflexology, and a complete line of massages, including Swedish and sports massages.

Aveda Spa at Alexis Hotel Seattle, Washington

Rejuvenation is the theme at the Aveda Spa at the Alexis Hotel. Once you arrive at the hotel there will be chocolate and champagne waiting to help you begin your path to relaxation. The spa has a series of treatments for all your ills. From focused to total body massages, to herbal treatments and aromatherapy, its all available at the Aveda Spa. Before you leave, they offer you an opportunity to take a little bit of that pampering home with you, through the purchase of their skin care products.

Wentworth by the Sea at Marriott - New Castle, New Hampshire

As soon as you arrive at the Wentworth by the Sea Spa, you will immediately be put in a relaxation mindset. You will be guided to a relaxation room, where you can enjoy a beverage at the seaside retreat. Once you select a spa package to take advantage of, youll be immersed in focused treatments with paraffin wax treatments for your hands, body scrubs and wraps, soothing facials, or you could go for the complete body massage with essential oils, Reiki, or warm stone treatments. They even have a specialized maternity massage for expectant mothers.

Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa Maui, Hawaii

Its a double treat at the Grand Wailea Spa. First, youre in Hawaii. That already starts you on a path to relaxation. Then you check into this facility. The 50,000 square foot spa has a number of exclusive offerings - aromatic baths, Swiss jet showers, redwood saunas, Japanese Furo baths, massages, Roman jacuzzi tubs, personal trainers, and their renowned Term Wailea Hydrotherapy.

Sandy Lane Resort St. James, Barbados

Enjoy a get away to the sandy beaches of the West Indies where you can revitalize your skin by taking advantage of a signature Dr. Hauschka Classic Treatment. They have spa treatments for all levels including a full-day six-hour spa experience which starts with a water massage, progresses to a hydrotherapy bath, a full body massage, then an aromatherapy facial, exercises to promote deep relaxation and a manicure and pedicure to have your body revitalized from head to toe.

Focusing on latest developments in Spain, he writes essentially for http://www.alicante-spain.com You might see his publications on Golf in Spain at many different sources for Golf in Spain news.